The brain is able to process the different forms of textures based on how it responds to the sensory nerves when something is touched. The extent to which the brain understands these different textures is significant. This allows the brain to react to velvet different than sandpaper. A potential, although impressive undertaking, exists where a robotic hand could be programmed to send different texture sensory information to the brain and allow the person to respond to this stimulation the same as if it was a normal hand.
Key Takeaways:
- As humans, our hands and fingertips can detect small differences in texture such as distinguishing coarse sandpaper from smooth glass.
- The somatosensory cortex is the part of the brain responsible for interpreting the sense of touch and sensors in the skin and nerves transmit texture information to it.
- The brain creates a dimensional representation of texture in the brain as the neurons transmit sensory information about texture to it.
“”The variety of different adjectives you can use to describe texture just highlights that it’s a rich sensory space. So, it makes sense that you need to have a rich neural space in the brain to interpret that too.””
Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190208124705.htm